At 17, Josh Hazlewood became the youngest fast bowler to be selected by New South Wales when he faced New Zealand in November 2008. Less than two years later he was in his first one-day international against England at Southampton, joining Craig McDermott and Ray Bright as the only Australian 19-year-olds to play the format so soon. He had to wait until 2013 to add to his ODI tally and make his T20 international debut, but along the way the selectors had indicated he was in also in their Test plans. He was initially chosen for Australia's Test tour of India in late 2010 but was withdrawn due to a back stress injury, and he was again part of Australia's Test squad for the home series against South Africa in 2012-13, although a baggy green still eluded him.

By 2014-15 he had added strength to his 196cm frame and enjoyed a productive Matador One-Day Cup, in which he collected 14 wickets at 24.50. That tally included 7 for 36 in one match against South Australia, the third-best figures in Australian domestic one-day history, and he was not surprisingly called back into to the ODI squad to take on South Africa. Hazlewood was also coming off a couple of strong Sheffield Shield campaigns. In 2012-13 he collected 24 wickets at 29.29 and in 2013-14 he picked up 22 at 19.77, including 6 for 50 in the final against Western Australia, a drawn match that handed New South Wales the title.

He grew up with Glenn McGrath as his idol and was handed a rookie state contract for 2008-09, despite still being in year 12 in Tamworth, in country New South Wales. At the time he had not even played a game for a Sydney grade club. He went on to be the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand with 13 and his four victims in the final against Pakistan won him the Man-of-the-Match award.ESPNcricinfo staff